India has made significant progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change. Some of the key achievements are as follows:
- Goal 1: No Poverty: India has made progress in reducing poverty, with the poverty rate declining from 21.6% in 2011-12 to 9.2% in 2019-20, as per the latest data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger: India has made progress in reducing hunger, with the prevalence of undernourishment declining from 22.3% in 2004-06 to 14.5% in 2016-18, as per the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization.
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being: India has made progress in improving health outcomes, with the life expectancy at birth increasing from 64.2 years in 2000 to 69.7 years in 2019, as per the World Bank. Additionally, the infant mortality rate has declined from 66 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 28 per 1,000 live births in 2019.
- Goal 4: Quality Education: India has made progress in improving access to education, with the net enrolment rate in primary education increasing from 85.2% in 2000 to 99.3% in 2018, as per the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- Goal 5: Gender Equality: India has made progress in improving gender equality, with the gender parity index in primary education increasing from 0.82 in 2000 to 1.00 in 2018, as per the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Additionally, the female labour force participation rate has increased from 23.4% in 2005-06 to 28.5% in 2018-19, as per the latest data from the National Statistical Office.
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: India has made progress in increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix, with the share of renewable energy in total installed capacity increasing from 5.5% in 2012 to 36.7% in 2021, as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- Goal 13: Climate Action: India has taken several initiatives to address climate change, including launching the National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008, setting a target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, and launching the International Solar Alliance in partnership with France.
While India has made progress in achieving the SDGs and addressing climate change, there is still a long way to go to achieve the targets set for 2030. Challenges such as income inequality, malnutrition, gender-based violence, and environmental degradation need to be addressed to achieve sustainable development.